Gang of Four announce new release date for box set, share unreleased demo

Last year, Matador Records announced it was releasing a Gang of Four box set in December, featuring the group’s first two studio albums, plus live recordings, demos and outtakes. That box set, Gang of Four: 77-81, has now been rescheduled for March 12 release after some production delays.

Today, the group has also shared a demo recording of the previously unreleased track “Elevator.” Hear it below.

The band’s vocalist Jon King says in a statement about the song: “Andy & I both lived in a shitty house in Leeds where we used to sing The Band or Muddy Waters songs, chugging disgusting homebrew beer that I fermented in a dustbin. We started writing songs – mostly homages to Dr. Feelgood or the Velvets – recording them on a crappy cassette player. Inspired by the New York scene and with UK punk rock on a thrilling rampage, Hugo, Gill, and I formed a band.

“The first couple of gigs were those early songs and a fast Beatles cover. Dave joining us raised the bar. He was really good, and we quickly came up with new material we all wrote together, built on grooves from Dave & Hugo, over which Andy and I would improvise until we’d got somewhere.

“‘Elevator’ always worked well live. It was a keeper until it wasn’t. By the time we got into the Workhouse studio to record ‘Entertainment’, it was in the dumper. I’d forgotten ever writing it until it was dug up for the box set cassette. I like it: the jangly riff, propulsive rhythm, and dopey lyrics take me right back to the day.“